KITTERY, Maine — The advocacy group looking to renovate the Wood Island Life Saving Station has gathered enough signatures on two petitions it hopes will change the fate of the historic facility by forcing a special election on its future. Plans are to present the petitions to the town clerk today.

On May 29, town officials were presented with a revised proposal from members of the Wood Island Life Saving Station Association that seeks to keep the town from demolishing the abandoned structure by transferring ownership and absolving the town from any financial obligations.

The association known as WILSSA has spent hours over the past year pleading with town officials to spare the rundown facility from the potential fate of being demolished.

Despite having been abandoned for decades, interest in the former U.S. Coast Guard life saving station has peaked in the past few years following an advisory committee’s recommendation to demolish the iconic structure in an attempt to avoid the long-term costs associated with rehabilitating the building.

Set on the small area known as Wood Island at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, the now-crumbling building was once used as a safe haven for those who were shipwrecked at sea and is a testament to the town of Kittery’s maritime history. The life-saving station, now marred by decay, was also a critical observation post during World War II to keep enemy boats and submarines from infiltrating the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

After two decades of vacancy, the town of Kittery assumed ownership of Wood Island in the 1970s. Since then, little has been done to preserve the life saving station. The building has fallen into a severe state of disrepair and is filled with hundreds of pounds of toxic bird waste and asbestos.

According to Jeffrey Pelletier, vice-chair of the Kittery Town Council and member of the Wood Island Advisory Committee, the town would be responsible for removing all toxic elements from the building before it could even begin to be restored — a task the town would also face if it ultimately decides to demolish the building.

A feasibility study was conducted in 2009, projecting the removal of all toxic waste and asbestos to cost roughly $300,000. Town officials have suggested that demolishing the life saving station to avoid long-term costs associated with restoring and maintaining the building is the most cost effective choice for taxpayers.

This suggestion has struck a nerve with those looking to preserve the town’s maritime history, especially for those involved with WILSSA.

WILSSA members developed a million-dollar plan to clean up and renovate the facility so that it may be used as a maritime museum open to the public seasonally for both educational and recreational purposes. WILSSA has said it will raise the necessary funds for the project through donations, and that association members would be solely responsible for maintaining the building once it is renovated.

Over the last two years, the town and WILSSA have been negotiating plans for the facility. Ultimately, negotiations have hit a standstill, as town officials have expressed concern with who will be responsible for funding long-term costs if WILSSA cannot raise enough funds.

Having grown tired of continual back and forth that has led to little movement, WILSSA recently unveiled a new proposal that calls for the fate of Wood Island to be taken out of the hands of town officials and put before the voters.

WILSSA’s newest proposal, which has been broken down into two referendum petitions, asks voters to exonerate the town of Kittery from expending any funds related to Wood Island after the initial cleanup costs. More important, WILSSA’s newest proposal also calls for the current ownership structure of Wood Island to be terminated and then transferred from the town of Kittery to WILSSA.

These two petitions are currently circulating among residents. If each petition receives 400 signatures of support, these requests will become subject to a special election.

More than 100 residents supporting these requests attended the May 29 workshop, allowing WILSSA to gather a significant amount of signatures in the first few hours after the unveiling of the two petitions.

“We made it very clear that we are not asking for the town’s permission,” said WILSSA founder Sam Reid. “We simply provided them with information about the petitions, and reminded them that our town charter allows us a process to create a special election if we gather enough signatures.”

The first petition, which states that, aside from the local share of a Brownfield Grant to remove the hazardous waste and asbestos found within the Wood Island Life Saving Station, the town of Kittery would no longer be held financially responsible for the renovation or demolition of the structures on Wood Island.

Reid stressed that since acquiring Wood Island in the 1970s, the town has done little to nothing to keep up with the repairs needed for the life saving station to be a safe place for the public to visit — something he noted should have been an integral part of the town’s ownership of this facility.

“Time has passed for that,” said Reid. “Frankly, we’re done with the current ownership structure.”

The first petition strictly outlines that following its contribution to a Brownfield Cleanup Grant, which Reid estimated as costing roughly $40,000, the town of Kittery is not to expend any funding related to the facility known as the Old Portsmouth Harbor Lifeboat Station.

Reid noted that a $40,000 cost is significantly less than the estimated $300,000 the town would have to spend to remove toxic waste without the help of the grant.

Petition One also outlines the type of Brownfield Grant the town may apply for, one that specifically provides WILSSA with the desirable outcome for its renovation project. This type of grant, identified as a cleanup grant, requires the cleaning process to leave the facility in a state where it may be restored rather than demolished.

“We’re being very specific about the outcome we want,” said Reid.

The second petition seems to be drawing the most criticism from town councilors, despite having nothing to do with cost.

Petition Two asks voters if the town should “transfer all of its rights, title and interest in Wood Island. to the Wood Island Life Saving Station Association, subject to any necessary approval from the federal government.” The petition goes on to define the stipulations of this transfer, which would require WILSSA to maintain the property in a way that provides the public access to the island.

The feasibility of transferring ownership has caused both parties to once again differ in opinion. Although Reid told Foster’s he and his fellow advocates have full confidence that this transfer can occur, Pelletier believes otherwise.

“The deed says we cannot turn over the island to anybody,” said Pelletier. “WILSSA’s proposal is just not going to cut it from a legal perspective.”

The island’s current deed, signed in 1973, strictly states that the “property shall not be sold, leased, assigned, or otherwise disposed of except to another eligible governmental agency.”

According to Patrick Sclafani, public affairs officers for the New England Region of the U.S. General Services Administration, the town of Kittery is prohibited from transferring ownership of the island to a nonprofit organization. As WILSSA is registered as a nonprofit, Sclafani stressed that transferring the deed from the town to this advocacy group cannot occur.

Elyse LaForest, program manager for the Federal Lands to Parks Program of the National Park Service, supported Sclafani’s claim.

“If Kittery wanted to transfer the island to the state of Maine, and the state wanted the property, we could go along with that,” said LaForest. “However, since a nonprofit or a private person is not an eligible governmental agency, the town of Kittery cannot transfer the property to this group. Even if the town wanted to, it’s simply not allowed.”

Pelletier said the town has been in communication with National Park Service, and has been advised that transferring ownership of the property to WILSSA cannot occur.

“NPS has been very clear that the island cannot be sold or leased, period,” said Pelletier. “We can restore it into something, but we cannot give it away. This makes WILSSA’s latest approach counterproductive, and creates a lot of energy for a movement that cannot be achieved.”

Reid stood by his belief that a transfer can still occur. He went on to note that, although not specifically worded this way in its petition, WILSSA is looking to assume ownership of the island through a process known as abrogation.

Reid explained that by nullifying the current deed for Wood Island through abrogation, WILSSA could then become the owners of the parcel of land through a new deed penned by the National Park Service.

Reid said the snag hasn’t stopped the nonprofit from taking the necessary steps to gather support.

As of June 13, WILSSA members had gathered well over the necessary 400 signatures on each of the two petitions during town meetings, town election day and the Kittery Block Party.

“The support for what we are proposing is extremely strong,” said Reid. He noted that WILSSA plans to submit both petitions to Kittery’s town clerk today.

Aside from citizen support, WILSSA has also received encouraging letters of support from organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Maine Preservation.

The letter from the NTHP calls the town’s advisory committee’s recommendation to demolish the historic life saving station “unfortunate and unnecessary.” The letter goes on to support WILSSA’s proposal for abrogation of the deed conditions.

The letter from Maine Preservation lauds WILSSA for its efforts to restore the life saving station built in 1908 and its plan to reuse a facility that represents a significant part of Kittery’s maritime history.

“The current structure of public ownership is the leading cause of the current problem and needs remedy,” reads the letter. “ ... Demolition of this historic building is not the answer. Transferring ownership while protecting the local public’s and United States’ interest is the best alternative. This option, we feel, is a ‘win/win’ for all parties.”

The letter goes on to encourage NPS and GSA to begin “necessary discussions” for a transfer of ownership to take place so that WILSSA’s restoration project can occur.

WILSSA has also penned its own letter to NPS and GSA representatives, encouraging an open dialogue between all parties.

“Rather remarkable to have the leading nationwide historic preservation organization, leading statewide organization and local historic organization all sending letters,” said Reid. “ ... We believe this will get the attention of the National Park Service and GSA.”